What do you do as a sound engineer? Most of what I do is live sound, which essentially means that I operate sound systems to make people louder at various public events. From time to time I’ll do recordings, but for the most part, I work live shows. How did you get started in the sound industry? I started learning about sound by playing in bands. In those days, there was no sound industry. Everybody was figuring it out as they went along. In college, I decided to study acoustics and electronic music, and one day it just came over…

There were a lot of flaws in the year of 2016; many people went through personal tough times. Many people don’t remember a lot of happy moments in 2016, so I’m here to refresh your memories and bring back some of the five most celebrated moments in the year 2016. In the fifth spot comes Leonardo DiCaprio’s first Oscar win. After almost 25 years in the film industry and starring in over thirty-six movies, Leonardo DiCaprio has finally gotten an Oscar, winning his first Academy Award in February for the movie The Revenant. Fourth place is the Warriors’ loss against…

Christmas is a time for sharing traditions, and there are many traditions that are particular to specific cultures and regions. In America, many families decorate their Christmas tree, hang stockings and decorate their houses with Santa Claus figures. In Italy, families do the same, but they also do something unique. Each family, from north to south, creates a presepe, a scene celebrating the birth of baby Jesus. The Italian presepe is a representation of the Nativity Scene made with people, animals and homes. The first presepe, created by Saint Francis of Assisi in the 13th century, used real people and…

Where to go for winter break? There are many places that you can go to and many things to do there. I am focusing on places that you can go around in California. In San Francisco, there are a lot of things to do. You can go to tour Alcatraz Island. It’s one of the most visited historic tourist attractions in San Francisco. The federal prison used to store the most infamous criminals including Al Capone and “Machine Gun” Kelly. There is more things that you can learn such as the history of the island. While learning of the rich…

Business Administration. Communication Studies. Psychology. These tried-and-true majors are a popular choice for many college-bound seniors, seeking access to a variety of careers in their post-graduate lives. However, some students are much more specialized, knowing exactly what they want to do, and where they want to do it. Two notable examples of this phenomenon are Dannie Wang and Dominique DeFelice. Unlike their fellow San Mateo High classmates, their laser-focused career goals (and subsequent major choices) stem from lifelong passions. Dominique has long loved theater, performing in a variety of shows that have included West Side Story, Urinetown, and most…

With the voice of Tom Hanks, the humor of Mark Twain, and the knowledge of Encyclopedia Britannica, it’s no coincidence that Nels Johnson has had a successful twenty-two year tenure here at San Mateo. Officially, he’s an English teacher. Unofficially, he’s a college advisor, a foreign rock aficionado, an enemy of birds, a high-end coffee consumer, and above all else, a mentor in sarcasm. On any given day, you can witness Mr. Johnson in his natural habitat – strolling down the B-building, almost late to class, sporting a pair of his signature spectacles. Having taught each and every section of…

Do you remember the day that you told your parents you would stop picking on your sister, but, in the end, just fought with her more? Or when you promised yourself that you would go on a diet, but you are still eating a steady diet of burgers and fries? New Year’s resolutions can be tough to commit to if you set the bar too high. According to a Nielsen Holdings PLC article listing 2015’s top New Year’s resolutions, 37% of people wanted to stay fit and healthy, 32% wanted to lose weight, 25% wanted to spend less and save…

The winter holiday season is here! Which means, of course, so are celebrations of all kinds. There is a wide variety of holidays during this season, ranging from the well-known Christmas to Diwali to Chinese New Year. Many groups of people celebrate traditional holidays that have been celebrated for hundreds of thousands of years, like Hanukkah. Others have only recently begun to be celebrated, like Kwanzaa. The most popular and widespread winter holiday is definitely Christmas. It has been a federal holiday in the United States since June 26, 1870, but has been celebrated all around the world for about…

Instagram is gone– well from my phone at least. For the past 30 days, I have not used the app at all; it’s been a total blackout. Instagram, as you probably know, is an app with over 500 million users monthly as of October 2016 according to statista.com. It seems like everyone and their mother has an Instagram account. The originally iOS-based app (now on almost every OS) is great for documenting life’s adventures, sharing photos and videos and for contacting and communicating with people all over the world. I was a heavy Instagram user. As one of the few…

The eventful lives of Alan Rickman, Antonin Scalia, Prince and David Bowie will be forever remembered for their countless contributions to society. Originally named Prince Rogers Nelson, the singer and songwriter that we know better as just Prince, passed away earlier this year on April 21 in Chanhassen, Minn. Prince became famous in the 1980’s with his albums “1999” and “Purple Rain.” The phenomenal singer achieved fame through his unique songs that incorporated many electro and funk elements. Prince’s accomplishments include making over six movies, recording more than forty albums and receiving seven Grammy awards. Former Supreme Court Associate Justice…